Keeping Employees Safe during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Keeping Employees Safe during the Covid-19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on many parts of the world. Europe and the US are shaping up to be two of the most affected regions. As of April 24, 2020, there are 886,709 registered coronavirus infections and 50,243 deaths in the US. The lack of testing capacity in the country is making the situation even more challenging, suggesting that the actual numbers could be a lot more serious than what’s being announced officially.

Working during the Covid-19 pandemic is not easy. Some businesses have adopted a remote work approach. Others have had to shut down completely. Still, there are companies out there that need to maintain their full operational capacity. Doing so while introducing Covid-19 precautionary measures puts employers under a lot of stress.

If you’re a business owner who is considering the right Covid-19 measures to protect employees, there are multiple essentials you’ll have to keep in mind.

Employee screening and the following of the right safety procedures can reduce risks significantly and help for better workplace conditions.

Covid-19 Measures: Effective Employee Screening

The coronavirus can spread easily from one person to another via contact with an infected individual.

The virus is contained in little droplets of saliva and nasal fluids. When a person sneezes or coughs, some of these droplets will be released into the atmosphere. If they get in contact with somebody else’s eyes, nose or mouth, the virus will gain easy access to the respiratory tract.

Screening employees is a recommended practice to reduce the risk of infections.

Some of the most crucial screening steps all employers need to introduce include the following:

Taking the temperature of all workers when they arrive at the office/production facility

Employees who have some of the symptoms of the infection should notify their supervisor immediately or they should be asked to stay home

Sick employees should not return to work until the criteria for discontinuing home isolation are met

Employees who are healthy but who do have a sick family member will also need to be asked to notify their supervisor about the situation

Many large companies in the US have already adopted some or all of the above-mentioned Covid-19 measures.

Walmart and Amazon have both reported plans to start taking the temperature of their thousands of employees on a daily basis. Home Depot is equipping all employees with thermometers and these are to be used for self-assessment at home. Other companies like the grocery delivery service Instacart are providing their workers with personal safety kits that feature reusable face masks, thermometers and disinfectants.

The installation of Plexiglas screens in venues visited by numerous customers on a daily basis has turned into another standard safety precaution at a time of profound viral infection spread.

More Comprehensive Solutions Needed!

While temperature checking is a good first step to reduce the risk of a viral outbreak at an office or a production facility, medical professionals warn it’s not enough to ensure the safety of all people working at a specific location.

Reports already show that many virus carriers and infected individuals remain asymptomatic. Thus, the precautionary measures need to be coupled with an array of other practices to maximize safety.

Measures focused on personal hygiene and workplace sanitization are as important as Covid-19 screenings. Some of the recommended additional measures include the following:

Providing employees with mask and personal safety equipment

Increasing ventilation rates and the percentage of outdoor air entering work premises

Providing enough soap, hand sanitizer and disinfectant in the workplace

Employing a professional cleaning service that can thorough sanitize the commercial venue at least once per day

Encouraging the use of hand disinfectants at the workplace

Enforcing social distancing rules as much as possible

Maintaining flexible scheduling policies that allow the reduction of team sizes and reduce the contact between employees

All of these policies need to be coupled with proper employee training. Discouraging physical contact like handshaking, featuring posters that inform workers about the correct way to wash hands and enforcing coughing and sneezing etiquette are more important than ever before.

It’s also very important to have an action plan in case an employee tests positive for Covid-19.

CDC has already put together cleaning and disinfection guidelines companies need to follow in the case of a confirmed infection. In addition, workers should be informed about the situation and they should be asked to self-monitor for the most typical signs of Covid-19 in the coming days.

Other good practices in the event of a Covid-19 infection at the workplace include notifying affected customers and business partners, increasing the number of employees who work remotely, closing down some venues (for businesses operating from more than one location), performing enhanced disinfection and collaborating with local or state health authorities to ensure appropriate protocols and guidelines for the situation.

Reliable Assistance in a Time of Need

If you don’t know how to perform daily screening or you’d prefer to get professional assistance, you’ve come to the right place.

We are healthcare training service providers with numerous years of experience. Over time, we’ve worked with numerous companies on the enforcement of the right safety protocols and the proper training of employees.

Don’t hesitate to contact us today if you’re looking for opportunities to learn more about Covid-19 and the best employee screening measures. We are offering thorough screening solutions that are personalized to address the needs of the specific organization.

Get in touch with us today at 951-444-5049 to protect your workers and your business.